Takeshi Ishikawa was taken aback. He had only come today to invite Ning Zhiheng and a few friends for a simple celebration, but he did not expect Ning Zhiheng to make it so grand!
"This, this isn't a good idea! It's too flashy!" Takeshi Ishikawa said hesitantly, but the joy in his eyes was undeniable.
Who wouldn't want to boast about their achievements and inspire envy and jealousy in others? Ishikawa Takeshi is young and far from the point where he should be hiding his talents, so naturally he is eager to celebrate in a grand manner.
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand and made the decision: "It's settled then. You decide on the participants. We definitely need to have a proper celebration!"
Seeing Ning Zhiheng's happy expression, Ishikawa Takeshi naturally stopped insisting and nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, I'll inform them when I get back!"
The two chatted and laughed for a few more minutes before Takeshi Ishikawa finally spoke up, saying, "I have some good news to tell you today."
"What other good news is there?" Ning Zhiheng asked. "Just say it all at once, stop stammering!"
Takeshi Ishikawa said with a smile, "These past few days, I've been trying to open up channels to the southern Jiangsu region, and now I've finally got a good opportunity. Things will be done soon!"
Ning Zhiheng looked at Ishikawa Takeshi with surprise. This time, Ishikawa's movements were quick, for some unknown reason.
"Tell me, what's the progress?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
Takeshi Ishikawa's face lit up with smugness as he chuckled and said, "Speaking of which, it's somewhat related to your assassination attempt. Just a few days ago, the Special Higher Police transferred a case to us. They said that based on the confessions of captured Chinese prisoners, one of our officers at the Huinan Bridge checkpoint leading to southern Jiangsu had accepted bribes from Chinese agents and was allowing controlled goods and enemy personnel to pass through without authorization. I took on this case right away, and after these past few days of investigation, it's been confirmed that it was Matsuno Ichiro, the officer in charge of guarding the Huinan Bridge, who accepted the bribe. That guy is incredibly audacious. No matter who it is, as long as they pay, he'll let them pass without inspection. He's willing to risk his life for money. This time, I'll take advantage of the situation to take him down and replace him with our own people. That way, I won't have to go through the trouble of dealing with them anymore!"
In the past two years, Takeshi Ishikawa has made many friends in the military, forming a vast network of relationships and having many useful people at his disposal.
Ning Zhiheng only realized upon hearing this that the Shanghai station had used this method to transport medicines to the southern Jiangsu region. He had previously sent people to monitor the transportation situation in Shanghai. It seems that everyone had the same idea. The Japanese were just as greedy as the corrupt officials in China.
"Let's proceed as you wish! By the way, I received some news a few days ago that the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, connecting Shanghai and Nanjing, is about to open. This is a major event. Through the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, our goods can reach Nanjing and be transferred to major cities in North and Central China. We will have another transportation channel for our goods, and the development of our Fujiwara Company will be further promoted. Takeshi, you and I will realize our ambitions in China. The best days are yet to come!"
Ishikawa Takeshi was overjoyed upon hearing this. He was one of only two shareholders of the Fujiwara Company. The better the Fujiwara Company developed, the brighter his future would be. With money, he could have power, and with power, he could protect the Fujiwara Company from all troubles. This was the best shortcut.
That evening, Ning Zhiheng hosted an extremely luxurious and grand cocktail party at the Wujiang Hotel, Shanghai's largest hotel.
The attendees were officers from the Shanghai Military Police Command, as well as military friends whom Ishikawa Takeshi had deliberately cultivated in the Shanghai military circles. Because these people held lower positions, Ning Zhiheng did not invite other high-ranking officials from various circles in Shanghai, as their levels were different.
The highest-ranking attendees were Ning Zhiheng and Katsuta Takashi. Ning Zhiheng was a close friend of Ishikawa Takeshi, and Katsuta Takashi was Ishikawa Takeshi's superior, so their positions were quite respectable.
The party was a great success, and many people came to celebrate. Everyone knew that Ishikawa Takeshi had a stroke of good luck, having made connections with Chairman Fujiwara early on and gained the favor of several high-ranking officials, which led to his promotion to lieutenant colonel at such a young age. One could imagine that he had a bright future ahead of him.
Everyone was deliberately trying to befriend Takeshi Ishikawa, and the party was a great success. Takeshi Ishikawa was naturally very pleased with himself and extremely happy.
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